Lindon
Lindon was a region of the Westlands. Initially populated by Laiquendi, in the following Ages it became an important Elvish realm, known for its harbors and Elven Ships that would sail for the West. Geography Lindon was a name of Ossiriand, a region west of the Blue Mountains, in Eastern Beleriand. After the deluge of Beleriand in the War of Wrath, Lindon became the westernmost land of the continent of Middle-earth. The Gulf of Lune broke into Lindon and the Blue Mountains and divided the realm into Forlindon (North Lindon) and Harlindon (South Lindon). The eastern border of Lindon was the River Lune, beyond which was Arnor.The Lord of the Rings, Appendix A, "The Númenorean Kings", "Eriador, Arnor, and the Heirs of Isildur" History The First Age The name Lindon was first used by the exiled Noldor for the region of Ossiriand.The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of Beleriand and its Realms" Lindon was the only part of Beleriand that survived the War of Wrath, the rest of the land having been broken or submerged by the tumults.3 However, Belegaer the Great Sea broke through the mountain chain, creating the Gulf of Lhûn. Many of the surviving Elves of drowned Beleriand, especially the exiled Noldor, relocated to Lindon by the beginning of the Second Age, where they were ruled by Gil-galad.The Peoples of Middle-earth, "The Appendix on Languages", p. 78 The Second Age: Kingdom of Gil-galad Gil-galad founded the Kingdom of Lindon in S.A. 1 ruling over the Noldor and Sindar and all the Elves of Lindon alike. They also built the Havens (Mithlond, and also likely Harlond and Forlond)The Lord of the Rings, Appendix B, "The Second Age" and many Elves left from there to Valinor. The Noldor mainly dwelt in Forlindon, and the Sindar (and surviving Green-elves) in Harlindon (a fief under the rule of Celeborn).The Peoples of Middle-earth, "Of Dwarves and Men", p. 328 (Note 65)Unfinished Tales, "The History of Galadriel and Celeborn", (Introduction & Note 2) Presumably, the surviving Edain also stayed for some time alongside the Elves of Lindon, until they left for Elenna (S.A. 32). But there was some tension between the Elves; some of the Sindar did not wish to live under Gil-galad alongside the Noldor, and went to the Silvan Elves in the east, who were their Telerin kin.Unfinished Tales, "The History of Galadriel and Celeborn", "Appendix B: The Sindarin Princes of the Silvan Elves" Some Noldor also left to found Eregion (S.A. 700), the second of the two Noldorin realms. In S.A. 600 Entulessë, a ship from Númenor arrived in Mithlond where Gil-galad welcomed the Númenóreans, before restablishing contact with their Mannish kin, the Middle Men.The Lord of the Rings, Appendix B, "The Second Age", entry "600"Unfinished Tales, "A Description of the Island of Númenor" During the War of the Elves and Sauron, Sauron had overrun Eriador. The Elves called that time Days of Flight as many fled to Lindon where Sauron could not enter, and thence over the Sea to the Uttermost West. Eventually Tar-Minastir sent ships to Lindon, responding to Gil-galad's plea. The combined army of Elves and Númenóreans drove Sauron's forces out of Eriador. In the tumult following the Downfall of Númenor, Lindon suffered great loss as "the sea rode in upon the land", and therefore had shrunk when the Third Age began. The Third Age: Rule of Círdan After the War of the Last Alliance, most of the Ñoldor finally departed for Valinor, and Lindon became depopulated, now ruled by Gil-galad's lieutenant, the Telerin elf Círdan the Shipwright, who kept building ships for the departing Elves. During the days of Kings, most of the High Elves that still lingered in Middle-earth were found in Lindon. Beyond the Lune was Elvish country, green and quiet, where no Men went; but Dwarves dwelt, and still dwell, in the east side of the Blue Mountains, especially in those parts south of the Gulf of Lune, where they still have mines in use. Thorin's Halls, the realm of Durin's Folk in-exile, was located in Lindon, on the east side of the Blue Mountains; east of the Lune. The Fourth Age: Passing of the Elves In the Fourth Age, few Elves remained, if any at all. During the Fourth Age, it was one of the last Elven havens as the remaining Elves of Rivendell and Lothlórien left Middle-earth. In the beginning of the first century, Fourth Age, it experienced a population growth as migrants from the east came to Mithlond. Not all Elves left Middle-earth immediately, many of the migrants made long-term temporary settlements. Aside from Elves, Gandalf, Bilbo Baggins and Frodo Baggins also went to Valinor from the Grey Havens, and a family tradition held that Samwise Gamgee, having been himself a Ring-bearer, albeit briefly, did likewise, in the year 1482 of the Shire Reckoning (Fourth Age 61). It was also told in the Red Book of Westmarch that after Aragorn's death Legolas built a grey ship and left Middle-earth to go to Valinor, and that Gimli went with him. Círdan stayed in Mithlond into the Fourth Age until as he said, "the last ship sails" and the remaining Eldar passed into the West. Although all the Elves of Lindon eventually passed into the West, dwarves dwelt in their halls on the east side of the Blue Mountains, especially in the parts south of the Gulf of Lhûn where they had mines that would still be in use. Etymology The name Lindon means "Land of the Singers", from the Quenya term lin or lindParma Eldalamberon 17, Words, Phrases and Passages in Various Tongues in The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien ("to sing, make musical sound")The Silmarillion, Appendix: Elements in Quenya and Sindarin names and ''-on'', which is a common suffix for regions. Translations References ca:Lindon de:Lindon es:Lindon fr:Lindon it:Lindon nl:Lindon pl:Lindon ru:Линдон Category:Quenya words Category:Regions Category:Elven Kingdoms Category:Elven Realms Category:Lindon